As how great Rithout's self, he slew in his repair, * But Drayton, in these lines, manifestly alludes to a passage in Geoffrey of Monmouth; who informs us, that a Spanish giant, named Ritho, having forcibly conveyed away from hen guard Helena the niece of Duke Hoel, possessed himself of St. Michael's Mount in Cornwall, from whence he made frequent sallies, and committed various outrages; that, stance relating to Drayton's tomb in Westminster Abbey, which is erected near that of Spenser. Heylin informs us, that Drayton was not buried in the south isle of the church, where his monument is now to be seen; but under the north wall, near a little door which opens to one of the prebendal houses. This Heylin affirms from his own knowledge, he being invited to Drayton's funeral. Appeal of Inj. Innocence, page 42. part. ii. subjoined to Fuller's Ch. Hist. Ed. 1655. Bayle would have expended a folio page in adjusting such a point as this. * Song 4. at last, King Arthur conquered this giant, and took from him a certain coat which he had been composing of the beards of kings, a vacant place being left for King Arthur's beard*. And though further proofs of Spenser's copying this romance are perhaps superfluous, I shall add, that Spenser has quoted an authority, for an ancient custom from Morte Arthur, in his "State of Ireland." "The knights in antient times used to wear their mistresses or lover's sleeve upon their arms, as appeareth by that which is written of Sir Launcelot, that he wore the sleeve of the faire maid of Asteloth in a tournay : whereat Queen Genever was much displeased." This is the passage-" When Queen Genever wist that Sir Launcelot beare * Orig. and Gest. Rest. Brit. B. x. 13. Hughes's Edit. vol. vi. page 114. Edit. 1750, the red sleeve of the faire Maide of Astolat, she was nigh out of her minde for anger*." There is great reason to conclude, not only from what has already been mentioned concerning Spenser's imitations from this romantic history of King Arthur and his knights, but from some circumstances which I shall now produce, that it was a favourite and reigning romance about the age of Queen Elizabeth, or at least one very well known and much read at that time. Spenser, in the "Shepherd's Kalendar," has the following passage And whither rennes this bevie of ladies bright Raunged in a row ? They been all ladies of the lake behight, That unto her go†. Upon the words "Ladies of the Lake," Mort. Arth, p. 3. ch. 119. † Aprill. E.K. the old commentator on the pastorals has left us the following remark-" Ladies of the Lake be nymphes: for it was an old opinion among the antient heathens, that of every spring and fountaine was a goddesse the soveraine; which opinion stucke in the minds of men not many years since by meanes of certain fine fablers, or loose lyers; such as were the authors of King Arthur the Great. -Who tell many an unlawfull leesing of the 'Ladies of the Lake."-These fine fablers or loose lyers, are the authors of the romance above mentioned, viz. Morte Arthur, where many miracles are performed, and much enchantment is conducted, by the means and interposition of the " Lady of the Lake.”— Now it should be observed, that the "Lady of the Lake" was introduced to make part of Queen Elizabeth's entertainment at Kenelworth; as an evidence of which, I shall produce a passage from an ancient book, entitled, "A Letter, wherein part of the Entertainment untoo the Queen's Majesty at Killinworth Castl in Warwicksheer in this Soomer's progress, 1575, is signified*."-The passage is this * Killingworth castle was early made the theatre of romantic gallantries; and was the place where tilts and tournaments, after a long disuse, were re-established in their original splendour by Roger earl of Mortimer, in the reign of Edward I. Thus Earl Mortimer, his grandson, to Q. Isabell, in Drayton's Heroical Epistles. My grandson was the first since Arthur's reign To whose great court at Kenilworth did come Where," says the note, "Roger Mortimer erected the round table at Kenelworth, after the antient order of King Arthur's table, with the retinue of an hundred knights, and a hundred ladies in his house, for the entertaining such adventurers as came thither from all parts of Christendom."-Walsingham mentions the re-establishment of this table at Kenelworth. Hearne has printed from the Red Book of the Exchequer, a curious Latih instrument of Richard I. concerning the places of holding turnaments in England, where Kenilworth is specified among the rest. I will give it in English at length. |